The addition of Houston Bellaire and Houston Wheatley to the already stacked Whataburger tournament at the W.G. Thomas Coliseum in Birdville turned the bracket into a who's who of Texas high school powerhouses. Bellaire and Wheatley joined North Crowley, Plano West and Irving as the five state top 10 5A programs to tangle in the tournament.

And the tournament certainly lived up to the billing. Four of the five teams made it to the semifinals while Bellaire and Plano West battled for the fourth spot in the semifinals with the loser being the odd team out. In a back and forth battle, Bellaire finally wound up on top, 71-68, to advance to play the defending state champions in North Crowley.

The matchup everyone in Thomas Coliseum wanted to watch was inside the paint between Bellaire junior center Tobi Oyedeji and Plano West forward Jackson Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat finished with a game-high 25 points while Oyedeji fouled out with 10 points, matching his total from Bellaire's first-round win over Flower Mound Marcus.